How to make a house a home
“Home is where love resides, memories are created, friends always belong, and laughter never ends…”
The word ‘home’ in its simplest form can be defined as a place where we live. It’s what our homes mean to us and the connection we have with them that broadens the meaning behind ‘home’ into something much more intricate and personal.
So if you’re planning to embark on a self-build journey to create your dream country style oak framed family home or modern barn-style home to downsize to, one question we’ve been pondering here at Oakwrights is:
How do you make a house a home?
Can you put your finger on ‘it’?
The wonderful reality here is that there are no right or wrong answers. We have however collated a handful of wholesome suggestions you may relate to:
Feelings and emotions
Happiness, love, and security and safety are all feelings and emotions British homeowners voted highly when asked what makes a house a home. And tapping deeper into the senses, the sound of laughter was also one of the top answers in the survey – showcasing how we characterise our homes extends beyond physical things and aesthetics.
“Home is not a place…it’s a feeling.”
Functionality
The way spaces within our homes work for and support us impacts how we feel about them, and naturally, what we want and need from our living spaces evolves over time.
For example, if you have your sights set on self-building because you need additional bedrooms or more room in general, your current home and your connection with it will always hold a special place in your heart.
However, functionality and what your family needs from their home now and in the future takes precedent.
Familiarity
From photographs and hand-drawn school masterpieces to family heirlooms and specialist artwork collections – what we choose to surround ourselves with within our four walls is truly personal and influences the feelings and emotions we touched on above.
Whether you’re drawn to bright and vibrant interiors or minimalist simplicity is your style, we all naturally create homely environments over time that we love nothing more than returning to at the end of the day.
“A house is made of bricks and beams. A home is made of hopes and dreams.”
Fond memories
These are made as we lay down our roots and grow into our houses. Sometimes special occasions can mark a memorable moment, while other times they just magically happen. And you may also find you cherish certain rooms thanks to the fond memories you’ve made there.
Nine times out of ten, it’s the people (and pets) who are responsible for the memories we treasure.
There are many other aspects we haven’t mentioned above... Location; how the sunlight illuminates various angles of your home at particular times of the day; the smell of home-cooked meals; the tiny fingerprints on your walls; your own bed and fresh linen – the list goes on, and the journey to establishing that comfortable, ‘homely feeling’ is unique.
To discover more about the bespoke oak framed homes we design and construct here at Oakwrights and explore our range of styles to help inspire your future build, simply follow this link.
